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Huggable, lovable, and fun…Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles. Homemade oatmeal cookies, rolled in cinnamon sugar, then generously decorated with both white chocolate and milk chocolate. These cookies are shaped into the cutest, fattest little Teddy Bears, made effortlessly by shaping the dough into round balls. Stuff with salty pretzel pieces before baking them to perfection. There’s nothing not to love about these sweet little teddy bear cookies. Each bite is slightly crisp on the edges but soft in the center…with just a little pretzel crunch.

overhead photo of Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles

I have the sweetest most lovable cookies today…because we all need something sweet and smiley in our lives. We just do!

You guys, these cookies!!! I am so excited to share these cookies with you all. Just looking at them alone makes me smile. They’re truly the most lovable little cookies and I really, really hope they bring some much-needed joy to you all today. I made these cookies this week after seeing the cutest little teddy bear photo on my Pinterest feed. The photo made me immediately smile. I was instantly inspired to create the cookie version, because you know, what’s even better than a cute bear photo? An even cuter, even sweeter, real-life cookie that’s not only fun and easy to create, but delicious too.

Here’s the truth. I know things have been hard this week. Everyone is struggling and everyone is feeling a little bit on edge. These are certainly strange times, and I’m sure the days are starting to feel long. So my goal? To bring you all the fun, happiness, and deliciousness I can.

Yes, I’m hoping these cookies can bring you some much needed Friday cheer…or just a fun cookie to bake up on a Friday night spent at home.

prep photo of cookie dough balls before assembling

(dough balls before assembling, full body teddy bears at the top, faces at the bottom)

prep photo of rolling the dough balls in cinnamon sugar

The inspiration.

As mentioned, I saw a photo of a teddy bear and immediately thought to make cookies.

With things being the way they are, recipe development has been hard. Food is a little hit or miss around here and I know it’s the same for many of you. I also know that a lot of you have been finding comfort in baking, so I figured this could be the perfect recipe to share today.

I also know that many of you are looking for activities to do with your kids. So I kept that in mind while creating this recipe and I tried to keep the steps simple and EASY. But let’s be real, I did that more for my own sanity. I’m no professional baker, and certainly not a professional dessert “decorator”. I’m right there with you all when it comes to decorating…perfectly imperfect!

So… the inspiration was first a photo, then all of you, and then it was your kids…but most importantly? I really just wanted to create an easy and delicious cookie recipe for all of us to enjoy today. Because Friday’s need cookies…especially this week!

prep photo of teddy bears on baking sheet before baking

Here is how to make these sweet and salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles.

One, gather your ingredients. You’ll need the basics…butter, sugar, flour, oats, etc. Plus some cinnamon sugar. Simple, nothing fancy, but all good.

Two, the additions are the most important part. You’ll need old fashioned oats, salted pretzel twists, white chocolate, and semi-sweet or milk chocolate.

Three…beat, mix, stir, roll…a lot of dough balls out. Then roll through cinnamon sugar, add pretzel pieces, bake, wack that pan on the counter, bake again, decorate, have fun…and enjoy way too many cookies.

Yes, there’s not one complicated thing about this recipe. These are easy cookies that are hard to mess up…because they’ll always turn out cute.

overhead photo of Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles

Attaching the pieces to form the bears…

As you all know, I am no professional when it comes to decorating sweets. BUT I still love to make my desserts look as cute as possible. Enter these cute Teddy Bear cookies.

The idea is to take the oatmeal cookie dough, roll it into tiny balls, attach them together into a “Teddy Bear” body, and bake. If you use the photos as guides, it’s the easiest cookie. Not to mention, so much fun! No stress, no pulling out your hair, just fun. Exactly what baking should be.

Now, attaching the pieces? This is the step that you might think could be tricky, but it’s actually so easy. To make each Teddy Bear, just gently push the dough balls together. Once again, use the photos as guides. Nothing needs to be shaped perfectly or lined up just right. As long as you have a rough body formed, the cookies bake up like adorable fat little Teddy Bears.

The process of rolling the balls will take a little time, but to me, this is easier than cutting out shapes…and I think these are way cuter, not to mention a little more unique. Everyone bakes cookies, but let’s bake something a little different!

overhead close up photo of Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles

Decorating is easy.

Since the cookies themselves are already so cute, decorating is EASY. I used melted white chocolate and melted milk chocolate to simply draw on the bear’s faces, hands and fat little stomachs.

So simple. So delicious.

overhead photo of Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles

What I love about these cookies is that they’re so easy to make. They require no chilling and I almost always have these ingredients on hand. And when it’s Friday night and the urge for a delicious yet simple oatmeal snickerdoodle cookie comes on? These cookies will be my new go-to.

They’re just perfectly crisp on the edges, but soft in the center, heavy on the cinnamon, with a nice crunch and a little saltiness from the pretzels on top. The best kind of cookie.

Bake these tonight, or sometime in the next few days. Promise you, these are sure to keep your kids busy…and certain to put a smile on everyone’s face.

overhead close up photo of Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles

Looking for some other kid-friendly baking ideas? Try these…

Homemade Animal Crackers

Cinnamon Sugar Brown Butter Popovers

Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Krispie Treats

If you make these sweet and salty Teddy Bear snickerdoodles, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 511 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour, cinnamon (if using), baking soda, and salt. Fold in the oats, mixing until combined.
    3. To make full-size teddy bears, roll about half the dough into 24 (1 tablespoon size) balls. These are the head and stomach. Roll the remaining dough into 72 (1/2 inch size) balls. These are the feet, arms, and ears (see above photos). I find it easiest to make all the parts first, then assemble.
    4. If desired, coat all of the balls in cinnamon sugar.
    5. On the prepared baking sheet, place the 2 of the 1 tablespoon size balls side by side, gently flatten until 1/2 inch thick. Attach 6 of the 1/2-inch balls for arms, legs, and ears. Repeat with the remaining dough, arranging the bears 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Add pretzel pieces to the top of the ears (see above photos for visuals, this will help!).
    6. Transfer to the oven and bake the teddy bears for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 3-4 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges. Let cool.
    7.  To decorate. Transfer the melted white chocolate to a ziplock bag and snip a very small portion of the corner off the bag. Use the bag to draw on the stomach, mouth, eyes, ears, and hands. Do the same with the melted semi-sweet chocolate, decorating as desired, have fun with this!! Let the chocolate on the bears harden at room temp for 1 hour or 15 minutes in the fridge.
    8. If you prefer to make just the teddy bear faces, roll about half the dough into 20 (1 tablespoon size...or a little larger) balls. Roll the remaining dough into 40 (1/2 inch size) balls. These are the ears (see above photos). Decorate as directed above.

Notes

Freezing: cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, then decorate as directed. 
Cinnamon Sugar: mix 1/3 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon. Store in an airtight container.
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horizontal photo of Sweet and Salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles

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Comments

  1. 3 stars
    These are super labor intensive. There is no way you can do this in 45 min at least not the average person.
    Between mixing the dough, rolling, and assembling these, then decorating with the chocolate its a 2 hours minimum. . They are a bit more tasty if you roll them in cinnamon sugar but then they seem to dark to look like a teddy bear. They are super cute looking but lots of work for the end result. This is the first time I have rated something of yours less than a 5 so sorry. Just trying to be honest.

    Reply

    1. Hi Dee! I am sorry this just was not for you! I hope you love some other cookie recipes on my blog! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    LOL You know the self-quarantining is driving people crazy when they make giant teddy bear cookies. This is hilarious and definitely brought a smile to my face and tear to my eye in a happy way. Thanks. I’ll always remember these cookies.

    Reply

    1. Hi Josephine! I am glad these brought a smile to your face haha! But yes, we need something happy right now! I hope you try these! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Hi!!! I just made these and I had so much fun… they turned out so cute and also tasted delicious. I have so many more of your recipes I want to try!

    Reply

    1. HI! The oats help hold the cookies together, so it is best to make with them. BUT below is what I would recommend if you omit. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan

      To omit the oats, add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour. Start with a 1/4 cup and if the dough is too sticky to roll, add another 1/4 or a cup. I haven’t tested this out, so I’m not positive it will work, but I do think it should and they’ll still taste great! Please let me know how it goes. Hope you love the cookies!!!

      Reply

  5. Tieghan, these chubby chewables are as adorable and smile-inducing as you hoped. Your spectacular imagination and kindness are much appreciated. Cheers, Ardith

    Reply

  6. I have to tell you when I opened my email today and saw those bear cookies I first laughed at how cute they were then realized what a great thing to
    Post since the inception of all this corona virus. What better way to lift our spirits! So much do that it inspired me to put my Christmas lights back up! After all Christmas is a time of goodwill which is something we are all in need of right now. Thank you so much for taking the time to do what you do, it is greatly appreciated from my little corner in Indiana! Jacqui

    Reply

    1. Aw I love that!! I am so glad you like these cookies and I hope you get a chance to try them! Thank you Jacqui! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. Thank you for the most adorable cookie known to mankind! What a whimsical antidote to the week we’ve all just been through. Do you have any tips for decorating without making the hugest mess of the kitchen and blobs all over the cookies?

    Reply

    1. Hi!! I always like to use ziplock bags to draw on the chocolate. This makes everything very mess free 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. I was literally talking to my son about how snickerdoodles were my first cookie I baked when I was a kid from Disney Cookbook. We are making these today!

    Reply

    1. Love that and how fun you can share the memory with him! I hope these turn out amazing for you Kena! xTieghan

      Reply

  10. They look AMAZING!!!! Thank you so Much for keeping it positive on the blog. We all need a good teddy bear cookie to cheer us up. Really hard times call for baking, prayer, and trusting that God is in control. I hope you have a Wonderful Friday.
    Thank you !!!

    Reply

  11. This photo in my inbox this morning gave me the biggest smile!
    I gave up white sugar and white flour for Lent, but I just might have to try these with a little unrefined sugar (doesn’t melt as well as granulated) and White Whole Wheat flour (thank you King Arthur). Will let you know if I get to them. The resort where I work (coastal Georgia) is still open for business, but not “as usual.” We are going day-to-day and adapting each one.

    Reply

    1. Hi Carol! I am so glad you like these and I hope they turn out amazing for you! That must feel so weird going day to day and not know.. But, I hope you are doing well and stay safe! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. The first thing I did when I saw your email and picture of these adorable cookies was smile! What a great post! I do have a question for you. I have seen in your posts a brown paper that you use to cook and place your food on. What is it? I would like to order some of what you are using. Thank you!!

    Reply

  13. This looks fun! Can we get from you some desserts/drinks recipes with jasmine flowers?? Please! I am so ready for spring??

    Reply